Tips for Training the Next Generation of Content Marketers
B2B marketers of all stripes need content, from social media and Google Ads to SEO initiatives, webinars, and PR. Need I go on? Whatever your marketing goals and objectives, you need to feed the content beast!
Some 45% of marketers spend about half of their workweek developing content, and nearly one-third spend 75% of their time doing so, according to a 2022 Capterra survey.
Generating compelling content means having a team that can consistently deliver high-quality blog posts, social media copy, video scripts, earned-media articles, and more.
Enabling new hires and junior-level talent to flourish in such a busy, on-demand environment is mission-critical for in-house marketing teams and agencies alike.
Here are seven tips for growing your junior-level content marketers into superstars.
1. Craft content like a subject-matter expert
Here's a little secret: You don't have to be a subject-matter expert (SME) to write like one.
Skills such as interviewing an expert, writing thought-provoking interview questions, crafting an outline, and researching will serve you well and make you a valuable asset to any content team.
Make sure you know the basics before committing to becoming an expert in an industry that will likely evolve.
Subject-matter expertise will come with time; also, a good mentor can help.
2. Start with goals and objectives
Effective lead generation content is different from effective thought leadership content, and it should be written accordingly. When you set out to craft a new piece of content, know its intended purpose and distribution channel.
3. Write with a specific person in mind
Persona cards are great, but LinkedIn is better. Although you may know the job title and type of company where your target audience members work, do you have a good feel for who they are?
Look up your ideal buyers on LinkedIn and get to know them:
What type of content do they post?
Whom do they follow?
What skills do they have?
Those details will give your content depth and increase the likelihood that your audience will think you're speaking directly to them—because you are.
4. Run everything through Grammarly... and repeat
I'll say it again: everything. That includes short-form content, such as social media posts, email copy, subject lines, and LinkedIn Ads. Anything and everything going out in the world. Typos and other errors can also sneak into copy, especially when multiple people have access to edit and make changes.
Even if you checked your content before sharing it with your stakeholders, run it through Grammarly (or a similar service) again before delivering the final version or posting it for the world to see.
5. Edit for more than grammar
A high-quality piece of content is more than grammatically correct. Junior team members must know how to review and edit for content and value beyond the basics of punctuation and spelling.
Here are five questions to start with:
Is the title or headline attention-grabbing?
Does the copy deliver on its promise?
Are there sufficient examples or stats to back up claims?
Is the call to action (CTA) appropriate for the distribution channel?
Are the right SEO keyphrases used?
6. Learn how to spot weak or thin content
To build on the previous point, content marketers must have the skills to identify what provides value to a defined target audience.
For example, if you're targeting chief digital strategy officers at large health systems, they doesn't need to be told what a digital health strategy is, whereas if you're creating content to reach front-line nursing staff, they will need more basic information about digital health strategies.
That's where interviewing SMEs is particularly useful for developing content that speaks to buyers and influencers.
7. Get comfortable with metrics sooner rather than later
It doesn't matter how great you think a piece of content is if you can't cite data to back up your claims. Did the content piece deliver on its goals? What are the engagement metrics on social media? How many leads did it generate?
Knowing how to measure the success of content is what proves its value to the organization.
Bonus: Give constructive feedback
As a content leader, you have a responsibility to provide actionable feedback. Although that includes sharing areas for improvement, letting people know what they're doing well is equally valuable.
In addition to providing positive reinforcement, feedback helps junior-level talent recognize their strengths and think about ways to use those strengths in other areas of content development.
It also creates a more open environment in which everyone's contributions are recognized.
* * *
Who knows how the role of a content marketer will change over the next 10 years?
Whatever it evolves into, today's budding content marketers will be at the forefront. Providing them with evergreen skills they can take into the future will make them better content creators today.
It's also not a stretch to say there's senior content marketers can learn a lot by collaborating with their younger team members.